The Integris Arcadia Trails Center for Addiction Recovery, as it will be called, is scheduled to open in early 2019.

Brooke Cayot | news@miaminewsrecord.com

EDMOND – Integris announced Oct. 5 plans to begin construction of a state-of-the-art addiction and mental illness treatment center in Edmond, which will be largely funded through an ambitious $35 million campaign led by passionate community members. The Integris Arcadia Trails Center for Addiction Recovery, as it will be called, is scheduled to open in early 2019.

More than 150 statewide donors have already committed to the cause, securing $23.1 million from supporters in Ardmore, Enid, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Ada, Miami, Durant, and Duncan. The philanthropic effort represents the largest fundraising initiative in Integris history. Details of the future project were revealed Thursday during a special groundbreaking ceremony.

The Problem

Oklahoma is a state in crisis, plagued by a silent epidemic known as addiction. It is the leading cause of unintended death for Oklahomans between the ages of 25 and 64; yet, is ranked worst in the country when it comes to available treatment options.

Couple that with the fact that one in four Oklahomans suffers from some sort of mental illness, and it is easy to see that there is an undeniable and urgent need for more addiction and mental health services in the state.

"There are nearly 600 Oklahomans on a statewide waiting list for residential substance abuse treatment services, on any given day,” said Terri White, Oklahoma Commissioner of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. “These are individuals who have asked for help and have been assessed to need this level of care, but we simply do not have the resources to respond. And, we know, that when appropriate services are not available, other negative consequences occur that further compound the problem and cost more to address. Oklahoma’s death rate due to alcohol and drug poisonings has more than tripled over the past 15 years.”

Kelly Dyer Fry, editor of the Oklahoman newspaper, is campaign chairman for the project. “I am excited to announce that as of today, we have secured $23 million toward our final goal. Six million of the total raised will endow scholarships through the Patient Assistance Fund. This will help ensure that all Oklahomans can benefit from the new treatment facility, not just those with the ability to pay. Another portion of the funding will be dedicated to program development and educational outreach.”

“What began in the hearts and minds of a few local visionaries around a dinner table more than six years ago, is one step closer to becoming a reality,” proclaimed Bruce Lawrence, Integris president and chief executive officer.

“I remember when these individuals first approached me looking for an answer to a seemingly unsolvable problem. Their lives had been personally impacted by disease, and existing treatment programs had not worked for their loved ones. It was in that moment I realized – Integris must be part of the solution.”

A Solution

In response to what many consider to be an increasingly emergent situation, Integris announced its plans to build an evidence-based treatment facility in Oklahoma that will be similar in concept to such highly acclaimed institutions as Hazelden Betty Ford Centers (located throughout the country), Menninger (Houston) and Talbot (Atlanta).

The Integris Arcadia Trails Center for Addiction Recovery will be located on the Integris Health Edmond campus along I-35 near the I-44 interchange for easy access from anywhere in Oklahoma.

The proposed approximately 60-thousand square foot treatment facility will include a treatment area, a conference center and a 40-bed living space where patients will reside during the rehabilitation process.

The center’s staff will include addictionologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, dietitians, therapists, and clergy. Integris Arcadia will offer individualized treatment programs ranging from 60 to 90 days, which is more extensive than most current services.

The Science

There is a common misconception that addiction is a moral failure, lack of willpower, and weakness; however, scientific advances in brain research show addiction as a brain disease with genes and environment playing a significant role in its evolution. Eighty to ninety percent of people suffering from addiction have a diagnosable mental disorder, and a good majority of those individuals also suffer from significant unresolved personal trauma.

“Research in the field of brain science shows that it takes at least 45 days for the brain to begin significantly “re-wiring” itself and learn the new skills and behaviors necessary to break the addiction,” stated R. Murali Krishna, M.D., co-founder and president of Integris James L. Hall Jr. Center for Mind, Body and Spirit and senior consultant for Integris Mind-Brain Health. “It is clear from leading medical literature that longer lengths of stay lead to significantly reduced rates of relapse.”

The Call to Action

With a total cost of $46 million, the vision of the facility hinges upon the engagement and partnership of the community. Integris has already committed $11 million to the project, in land and construction dollars. The remaining $35 million will come in the form of private philanthropy, making this a true community-driven grassroots initiative. $23 million has already been secured, and another $12 million is needed to reach the goal. Oklahomans are asked to answer the call.

Although the public launch of the campaign was just announced, efforts to secure private donations have been ongoing since 2015. Lead donors to the campaign include the E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation, Integris Baptist Medical Center Volunteer Auxiliary, Inasmuch Foundation, Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, Pat and Jim Wallis, J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation, Luke and Becky Corbett, Chickasaw Nation, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Herman and LaDonna Meinders, Southern Oklahoma Memorial Foundation, and an anonymous donor.

Integris Arcadia is a mission-oriented venture for Integris and will not be a revenue-leader for the not-for-profit health system. More importantly, it will aid in changing lives, healing families and serving as a beacon of hope for Oklahoma.

For more information or to donate, visit http://Integrisgiving.org/arcadiatrails.

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